There are many Facebook users who woke up at some point with suspended personal accounts on the grounds that they do not use a real name. The procedure to unblock a suspended Facebook account it is relatively simple, but it requires sending a personal document to prove the name. Driver's license, ID card (CI) or other government document in which a picture and a name appear, in order to identify the person. Facebook says that these documents are deleted as soon as the verification is completed, but… who can guarantee this?
After submitting this data, the name of your Facebook profile will automatically be changed by a social networking representative, without the user ever being able to change it. Suppose that if that name is changed after a marriage or a divorce, Facebook will be trained to get an official document again to make the name change show.
You can't update your name right now because your name was changed by a Facebook representative.
Facebook is the world's first social network that has forced this policy to force users to use real names instead of nicknames, nicknames and nicknames. We do not say that is a bad thing, but we also have to keep in mind that users have the right to data confidentiality, and the process of recording even if it involves the intro duction of real data, the freedom to choose which name it wants to use on the social network should or at the discretion of the user.
An instance a Regional Court Berlin (The Royal Court of Berlin) ruled that Facebook's policy to force users to use real names and personal data on the social networking site is illegal. It has not been difficult for them to reach this decision, because in Germany there is a law that dates back to 10 years, allowing users to use pseudonyms on social networks.
The decision of the German court was last month, but it has just been announced and detailed Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV in abbreviation).
Facebook will challenge this decision of the German court, but said it will change its "privacy policy" to agree with the new rules that will be imposed in this regard by the European Union starting in June this year (2018) .
We are working hard to ensure that our guidelines are clear and easy to understand and that Facebook's services are in full compliance with the law
- says a Facebook representative
According to VZBV, the court found that the obligation imposed by Facebook to use the real name on the social network is "a hidden way", The goal being to obtain as much confidential data from users. In addition, the manner in which these verifications are made would not be in accordance with the laws regarding the confidentiality of personal information.
In defense, Facebook has replied that access to the social network is free and that it is the user's freedom to register or not. In reply, VZBV said that users "pay" for this access to the social network with their own personal data.
And VZBV, they are right. In opintake several organizations, every user who subscribes for free on Facebook should receive a paycheck. The amount from the advertising that Facebook sells to companies. It sounds a little strange, but Facebook without users would be a social network devoid of content. From status texts, pictures, video content to sharing locations, reviews and many other such content information, they are used by Facebook for commercial purposes. Even users' personal data plays an important role in Facebook's advertising network.
A simple scenario in this regard. A company that wants to promote its services through advertisements on Facebook can choose a very well-defined target audience, based on the information that Facebook has collected from users. I can choose that the ads appear only for users from a certain geographical area (cities, countries, continent), I can choose users who know certain foreign languages, I can choose that the ad is displayed for certain age segments. All these filters are only possible based on the confidential information that Facebook requests from users.
Returning to the decision of the VZBV court, it is unlikely that it will have effects in the next period. The decision is not final, and both parties intend to appeal.
However, there is hope that starting with the love month of this year, the European Union will tighten the policy of collecting and processing personal data by websites, online stores, social networks, portals and other online entities.